14 Mercery LaneRupert Austin

14 Mercery Lane is a typical example of the many buildings recorded by
the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. Its initial medieval form has
been altered and changed so many times since the building was first
constructed that only a small part of its original fabric still
survives. Most of the visible fabric dates from the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, though a considerable amount of earlier timber
framing still survives, buried within the walls of the present
structure. A programme of renovation, undertaken during the spring and
summer of 1992, enabled the Trust to survey the property. Although the
repairs and alterations were limited, enough of the timber framing was
exposed to provide a reasonable picture of the original medieval
building which probably dates from the end of the fifteenth century.

The timber frame, which rises to a height of three storeys, runs away
from the street frontage. Only the first two bays survive, though a
small amount of isolated fabric confirms the existence of a third. There
is nothing to suggest whether the structure continued further to the
rear. A crown-post roof, which may originally have been jettied and
gabled towards the street frontage survives in part over the first two
bays. Unfortunately, with the construction of a new facade and parapet,
the roof now terminates in a hipped end. A garret floor was inserted
into the roof space, probably a seventeenth-century modification, to
provide additional storage or sleeping space.

Rather surprisingly the two surviving tie-beams in this roof space
continue beyond the north-east limit of the building for a further 12-18
inches. This unusual detail suggests that the property was either
contemporary with or built against an existing building to the
north-east. In either case a double pile roof with valley gutter has
been formed at their juncture. No survey work has yet been undertaken on
15 Mercery Lane and it is not known whether any historic fabric survives
here.

Only the floor framing at first floor level was visible. All the floor
joists in the first bay survive together with an intact sequence of
carpenters marks, however no provision for stairs was observed. Later
modifications, in particular the insertion of a brick chimney stack.
have resulted in the loss of all but two of the joists in the second
bay.

The front bay at ground floor level, perhaps used for retail purposes,
was separated from the second bay by a stud partition. Access to the
rear of the property was afforded by doorway located at the south-west
end of this partition.

As with most of Canterbury's historic buildings, 14 Mercery Lane has not
escaped the ubiquitous face-lift. The street frontage, which was
originally jettied on both first and second floor levels has been cut
back and replaced with a modern facade and parapet. Only the jetty at
first floor level, now hidden behind later fabric, survives intact. One
of the brackets below the first floor jetty appears to remain in situ.
Apart from these details no further evidence survives to suggest what
form the original medieval street frontage took.

Rather ironically shallow timber planks have been applied to the facade
of the building in an attempt to lend it a timber-framed appearance, a
practice that has become increasingly common in the twentieth century.
After nearly five hundred years, architectural fashion has finally come
full circle!